Extended vs Advanced Custom Fields (October 2026)
Updated October 23, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Custom Field Plugins top 10: Extended at #4 and Advanced Custom Fields at #1. Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Extended
Advanced Custom Fields: Extended
All-in-one enhancement suite that improves WordPress & Advanced Custom Fields.
Advanced Custom Fields
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF®)
ACF helps customize WordPress with powerful, professional and intuitive fields. Proudly powering over 2 million sites, WordPress developers love ACF.
Who leads on what
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track.
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #4 in Custom Field Plugins.
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 100,000+.
Extended is rated higher: 4.8 out of 5 from 132 reviews, against 4.5 from 1,440 reviews.
Advanced Custom Fields has more reviews behind its score: 1,440 against 132.
Extended was updated more recently, on October 19, 2026; Advanced Custom Fields on September 10, 2026.
Advanced Custom Fields was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 451,181 times against 63,705.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Extended
Pick Extended if the review score matters most to you or you want the one shipping releases most recently.
Advanced Custom Fields
Pick Advanced Custom Fields if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, you want the score backed by more reviews or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Extended vs Advanced Custom Fields side by side
| Extended | Advanced Custom Fields | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom Field Plugins ranking | #4 | #1 |
| Rating | 4.8 | 4.5 |
| Reviews | 132 | 1,440 |
| Active installs | 100,000+ | 2 million+ |
| Total downloads | 2,722,571 | 77,327,691 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 63,705 | 451,181 |
| Last updated | Oct 19, 2026 | Sep 10, 2026 |
| First published | Mar 18, 2019 | Mar 25, 2011 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.1.3 |
| Requires PHP | 5.6 | 7.4 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 49 days
Extended ratings
Advanced Custom Fields ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Extended nor Advanced Custom Fields can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Custom Field Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Extended vs Advanced Custom Fields: common questions
Is Extended better than Advanced Custom Fields?
Advanced Custom Fields leads on 4 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #4 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which has more users, Extended or Advanced Custom Fields?
Advanced Custom Fields ranks higher on WordPress.org: #1 against #4 in Custom Field Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Extended or Advanced Custom Fields?
Advanced Custom Fields has more users: 2 million+ active installs against 100,000+.
Are Extended and Advanced Custom Fields free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Extended may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Advanced Custom Fields may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Extended and Advanced Custom Fields
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
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What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.